sfjapantown100.org

Good afternoon. I am Yosuke Kawana, Vice Consul of the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco and in charge of cultural affairs. Today, I want to briefly explain what Children's Day is and how we celebrate it in Japan. I am planning to have a short lecture with a brief slide show and video to follow. I would also like to save a few minutes at the end of my presentation for Q & A. I hope you all enjoy my presentation and that it will deepen your understating of one of Japan's unique annual cultural events.

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When a baby girl is born in a Japanese family, the first Peach Blossom Festival is called her first O-Hina Matsuri (Girl's Day Festival) and happily celebrated. According to tradition, as the third day of the third month approaches, Grandparents send traditional high court O-Hina (Girl's Day) dolls and relatives and close friends send supporting dolls. Recently, however, if small apartments limit the display space, the five or seven-stepped court scene must necessarily be abbreviated or miniaturized.

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The third workshop of the "100 Years of Culture and Traditions" series, which is part of the 100th Anniversary of Japantown celebration and co-sponsored by the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC), will be held on Saturday, March 11. For this workshop Tomoye Takahashi, well-known historian of Japanese culture and history and a local icon in our community, will present the "Girl's Day" workshop.

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Download the slides from the workshop

Download an umeboshi recipe

Saturday, February 25, 2006 (2:00 pm)
JCCCNC – Issei Memorial Hall*

Kent Takeda, local Sansei, will present the "Umeboshi" workshop. An "ochazuke" snack will be offered after the presentation. Participants can bring their own ochawan and reusable hashi with them. This event is free and open to the general public.

Download the presentation from the workshop

January 17, 2006 - The first workshop of the "100 Years of Culture and Traditions" series, which is part of the 100th Anniversary of Japantown celebration, will be held on Sunday, January 29.  For this workshop, Midori Yamamitsu, Director and Consul of the Japan Information Center, Consulate General of Japan, will present "New Year's Symbolism."  January 1, New Year's Day, in Japan is one of the most celebrated and festive occasions of the year.  Learn what traditions have made its way across the Pacific to be a part of our culture and community here in San Francisco and why certain food items, displays and games are played on this day.

The lecture will start at 2:00 pm and will be held in the Exhibit Hall (first floor) at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) at 1840 Sutter Street, San Francisco.  An "ochazuke" snack will be offered after the presentation.  There will be New Year's food, tsukemono, rice and tea.  Participants can bring their own ochawan and reusable hashi with them.

The "100 Years of Culture and Traditions" workshop series is monthly activities during 2006 to recognize a seasonal, cultural or generational topic.  Speakers who are native San Franciscans, long time residents or experts knowledgeable about a particular field will be asked to make a presentation on the subject matter created for that month.  The purpose of these monthly events is to learn and share traditions and to also reflect on how far we have evolved as a community over the past 100 years.  

The February workshop will be about umeboshi, fermented plums.  For more information about the 100th Anniversary of Japantown or the "100 Years of Culture and Traditions" workshop series, go to www.sfjapantown100.org.  Community meetings are held monthly to discuss the centennial and the next one will be on Wednesday, January 25 at 6:00 pm at JCCCNC.